Well, shoot!

I think I've whined explained on here about all the traveling my husband has been doing.  But, only 2 more weeks to go - out of 10 in the last 14 weeks.  ACK!  I won't lie - it has been stressful.  It isn't just about not wanting to be alone - I really really like him!!  I miss him when he is gone!  The other side is my health issues and the inherent anxiety I do have - the balance issues, the pain increases due to the mandatory increase in activities I must do to cover everything, yada yada.  And let's not forget how fun it is to parent teenagers alone.  NOT!

So, when I got some red bumps on my left cheek, I thought I was getting some adult acne or perhaps I used a product on my skin that it didn't like.  Andy came home from his trip and asked almost immediately what was on my face.  I was ignoring it personally (lol), so I shrugged it off.  Neither of us clicked as to what it was.

So last night, my face was really itching but I was busy online.  When I went to bed, I noticed it did not look like a pimple, but again, that was all I thought.  I got up this morning to a bigger, redder mess and Andy stopped me to ask "WHAT IS on your face?"" - and it hit me.  Shingles.  Again!!!!!  What itched last night is burning today.  Just great.

Ugh.  This is the 3rd time in under 2 years I've gotten them and 43 year old gals just aren't supposed to be getting these repeatedly!!  And if that isn't bad enough, I realize that for the last 2 mornings, I have had "gunk" in my eyes when I wake up and my eyes are really red.  Hmmmm..

The shingles are within an inch of my eye and all warning says get to the doctor.  I went to Minor Med and the doctor was very concerned about my eyes and the recurrence.  She started to politely lecture me on what is going on in my life that I would get shingles repeatedly as this is NOT NORMAL.

I told her about the severe nerve damage and pain.

I mentioned my husband had been gone for 8 weeks with more to come.

Oh, and I have 2 teenage boys I'm single parenting for now.

When she heard those 3 things, she said "Well, there you go.  Ok, lecture over."

The truth about chronic pain is the enormous stress it does put on your body.  I can put the biggest brightest smile on my face but the truth of the matter is never gone, which is my body is so over all this pain.  It is stressing every organ, every muscle, every neuron, every nerve..........and it will never end short of a miracle from God.  

So, when life brings me more lemons and I try to make lemonade...........well then, it all can crash.  There is just so much someone can tolerate/handle/pretend through when their every waking and sleeping moment is wracked with burning/searing pain.

Back to the doctor - she looks at my eyes and FREAKS.  She didn't have to tell me that shingles and your eyes is a VERY BAD DANGEROUS issue.  I am under strict orders to get to an ophthalmologist TOMORROW ASAP.  She said when I call and say "I went to Minor Med and have shingles an inch from my eye", they will see me in half an hour.  Yikes.

The doctor jumped up on the foot stool part of the exam table and got so close to me with the eye light thingy I thought we might kiss.  She looked and looked and was thrilled to see my discs were lovely (apparently).  But she is still worried.  She is treating me for conjunctivitis and we are all hoping that it what is it.  

But, it might be shingles in my eye(s), and that can be very bad news.  I will be praying I am fine because all I need is vision damage to go along with my balance issues.  Hubby will put me in a wheelchair and keep me there for safety!  lol

Oh crud - I just read that shingles in the eye can CAUSE conjunctivitis - so the fact that I was hoping I have conjunctivitis instead of shingles isn't necessarily a good thing.  POOP!

There''s nothing more irritating than trying to be a pretty pretty princess with big huge smile, showin' those teeth, just trying to be a sweet southern belle and try to convince hubby I'm doing just fine when SHINGLES show up to prove I'm NOT handling this too well.  Guess that'll show me.  Humph.

Here's praying that I do not have shingles in my eyes.  Please Lord.